Mornings are a very busy time of day. And breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day! I know, you've heard this before, but it never hurts to have a little reminder about how to improve your health. Mornings are busy, but my quick and easy raw food recipes for breakfast are just what you need to kick-start your day.

Rawtarian's Silky Green Smoothie

In making this silky green smoothie recipe, you just need to dump in all your fresh fruits and spinach and the rest of the ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend until it becomes silky smooth in texture. This raw food recipe for breakfast will take less than five minutes to prepare, and it is satisfyingly delicious!

Raw Oatmeal

How about taking your regular oatmeal up a level with this raw oatmeal recipe? You only need a few ingredients for this raw food recipe for breakfast, but it will make for a filling meal to get you going through the morning. You have an option to soak the raisins and the steel cut oats in water overnight to soften them, or just blend them all in the morning together with the chopped apple. It may take a little bit longer to prepare, but soaking will give that smoother and creamier texture to your raw oatmeal recipe.

Rawtarian's Raw Breakfast Bowl

Here’s another raw food recipe for breakfast that doesn’t need any equipment but takes very little time to whip up. Just shred your apple in a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients until the chia seeds and the shredded coconut absorb the cashew milk (or water). Easy peasy and there you have it! Your hearty raw breakfast bowl is ready to serve and eat.

Raw Porridge

This raw porridge recipe is also a very quick to prepare raw food recipe for breakfast. Just add water to your chia seeds in a bowl and stir immediately to prevent it from clumping. Then add honey and coconut and any other ingredient you would want to add, like pumpkin seeds or almonds or whatever your tastebuds prefer. The optional ingredients are just for a little added flavor. Once your porridge is thick enough, you may top it with raw cashew milk or blueberries. Having this raw porridge in the morning is a good start to your long day ahead!  

Morning Round-Up

The morning rush shouldn't deprive you of enjoying your breakfast, so being able to spend less time preparing what you eat in the morning while still being able to make a substantial and tasty meal is very important. And that is what my raw food recipes for breakfast are all about. So go ahead and try one of them yourself, and you won't have to skip on breakfast again!

Cookies. Need I say more? Well, yes, but I don't really need to! Who doesn't love cookies? They make the best snacks, everyone loves 'em (most everyone!), and being raw cookies, these won't leave you feeling guilty about eating too many!

Keep some on hand for lunches or treats, or for serving up to unexpected visitors. It's always wise to have cookies tucked away for any occasion!

Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini is the magical ingredient that makes these Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies stick together and taste 'peanutty.' Note: there are actually zero peanuts in this recipe (because raw peanuts are a no-no). Chunky pieces of almond add to the texture, and cacao nibs are the 'chocolate chips.' 

You can use raisins instead of cacao nibs, but whatever you decide, these cookies are sweet and delicious!

Raw Cinnamon Raisin "Oatmeal" Cookies

While these Raw Cinnamon Raisin "Oatmeal" Cookies don't contain oatmeal, they really do taste like 'real' cinnamon raisin cookies! Trust me on this one, okay? Almonds and honey provide texture and sweetness to this recipe. Coconut oil holds it all together (because it solidifies when it is cold).

Serve these delightfully tasty treats up with a cold glass of almond milk or ... ?

Raw Vanilla Drop Cookies

Super easy peasy cookies and no equipment required! For an amazing sweet fix, whip up a batch of these Raw Vanilla Drop Cookies. These are freezer cookies, so it's easy to keep a batch on hand for guests (or personal emergencies!).

Coconut oil, coconut and tahini (and vanilla, of course!) are the main ingredients that make these cookies so darn delicious!

Best Raw Chocolate Cookies

So named because they simply ARE the Best Raw Chocolate Cookies! Seriously, these are my fave chocolate-y, fudgy cookies! You can mix everything up, form into cookies and eat right away. Or you can dehydrate for a few hours for optimal warm gooey goodness! (I like 'em warm, myself!)

Either way, these chocolate cookies are truly divine.

Raw Lemon Cookies

Just for you, these simply sinful Raw Lemon Cookies. Only four ingredients - cashews, unsweetened coconut, one lemon (only one!), plus a sweetener (maple syrup or agave nectar). Sweet, creamy, and oh so lemony, this recipe will please every lemon cookie lover in your life, including yourself!

Yes, you have to use a dehydrator but don't let that stop you! You simply must try these lovely lemon cookies!

Easy Almond Pulp Cookies

Here's a recipe that will use up your leftover almond pulp, yay! Easy Almond Pulp Cookies are really super easy to make! Mix everything up, form them into little cookies, and dehydrate. The end result is a light tasty cookie that reminds me of a vanilla wafer.

Other ingredients include coconut and a sweetener (maple syrup or agave nectar).

What's your fave cookie?

Chocolate, lemon, vanilla? The flavors of oatmeal, cinnamon, or peanut butter? Whatever your pleasure, one of these raw cookie recipes will surely hit the spot! You'll def. want some on hand for when I pop over, all righty?

Sauces and condiments are staples you don't want to live without as a raw vegan. Well, maybe you do, but I'm betting at least one of the following recipes will catch your eye (and your tastebuds!). Raw ketchup, raw mayo and raw sour cream are all condiments that add pizzazz to everyday recipes. Same with sauces like raw cheese sauce, raw tomato sauce and raw Alfredo sauce.

Now I can hear you thinking, "But these recipes sound like they are hard to make!" Not true. All of these sauces and condiments are whipped up easily in your blender. Plus, they all taste fantastic, so you have no excuse! Which of the following sauces and condiments appeal to you the most?

Raw Cheese Sauce

This dreamy Raw Cheese Sauce is a staple in my kitchen. Serve it fresh out of your high-speed blender while it's still warm! I love drizzling this cashew-based sauce over broccoli... yum!

This sauce takes on a firmer consistency after refrigeration - kinda like cheez whiz!

Raw Tomato Sauce

For a super versatile sauce, look no further than this Raw Tomato Sauce recipe! Think pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce. Serve over kelp or zucchini noodles. Fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil form the basis of this recipe: it is quite strong, so a little goes a long way!

This sauce will keep in your fridge for up to three days.

Raw Alfredo Sauce

This creamy cashew-based Raw Alfredo Sauce is another sauce you must add to your repertoire. Believe me when I say that it's superior to the 'real' stuff. It's that delicious! For a quick meal, serve over zucchini or kelp noodles.

All you need is a blender for this recipe - it's super easy!

Raw Ketchup

No fridge is complete without ketchup, am I right? Fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and dates (secret ingredient!) form the base of this delicious Raw Ketchup. I must add that no veggie burger is complete without raw ketchup, either!

Super easy to make: all you need is a blender.

Raw Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is another can't-live-without condiment! This Raw Mayonnaise recipe will suit your needs, whether you're slapping some on a veggie burger, or using it as a rich, tasty dip for veggies.

Macadamia nuts are the surprise ingredient in this raw mayonnaise recipe!

Raw Sour Cream

Are you a sour cream fan? Then you'll love this cashew-based Raw Sour Cream recipe! It's super easy to make - all you need is a blender!

Raw sour cream + raw tacos = a win-win taste explosion!

Yes please to sauces and condiments!

I have to eat my broccoli covered with cheese sauce. And my veggie burger slathered with ketchup and mayo. Tacos and sour cream, of course! These are all classic combinations that are tried and true, but you don't have to stop there. Use your imagination for maximum taste sensation!

You'd like to take better food photographs. Here are some of my best tips and insights to help you improve your own photography right now.

I've been doing food photography since 2009. My photographs have been featured in Vegan Life magazine, the Huffington Post and much more. I am self-taught.

Food photography takes a long time to do. It takes hours to make the recipe, clean up the kitchen, try different food props, adjust lighting, shoot, and then edit and review. Generally, I allow 1/3 of the time for food prep/cleanup, 1/3 of time for styling, and 1/3 time for actual shooting. Then later comes post-production.

Styling and Set-Up

It's easiest to style your scene without the food in it and take pictures of that until you get the scene right. Sometimes you can substitute something inanimate in place of the food to help with focus etc.

Once you're satisfied with the shot, whip up your food in the kitchen, and then add the actual food to the set. This keeps the mess to the minimum and preserves the fresh look of your food. You'll still want to tweak a few things once you get the food on set, but you'll have gotten a lot of the styling choices dealt with already.

(Also, because the whole process can be tiring, consider whether you can prepare the food the day before, freeze or store it, then style the set empty, and THEN bring the food out afterwards. You don't want to be impatient and tired by the time it comes to shoot the actual photography!)

Camera Gear

You can only go so far without a good camera. Ideally, you will eventually have a digital camera that has removable lenses. These are called DSLR cameras. Removable lenses are important because then you can buy a lens that's specific for close-ups.

My DSLR camera is a Canon Rebel T3I. I use two different lenses. When taking close-ups of a certain part of the food I use this special macro lens for close-ups, which is what allows me to get that whole some-blurry-some-sharp effect that you see in so many food photographs.  When taking an overhead shot where I want everything to be in focus, I use this lens.

Lighting

Natural light is best. The best thing to do is have your table right up against a window with natural light coming in. For me, that doesn't seem to work because (A) my house windows are all facing the wrong side or have decks on them creating shade. (B) I am usually doing photography at night! And (C) I don't have the patience (or climate!) for outdoor photography. :)

Right now, I am not using natural light as my sole source. Instead I am using this lighting kit.

Photo Editing

I use Adobe Photoshop to edit my photos. I currently don't do a lot of color correcting or heavy digital modifications after the shot has been taken, but I look forward to doing more of this in the future. 

The Rawtarian's Photo Portfolio

I have about 200 recipes (100 free recipes, and another 100 recipes in the same format that are only viewable to TRK members) on this website, with unique photos of each recipe. A lot of the recipes have old, terrible photos still attached to them. I am working on improving them, one at a time. Photography, much like life, is a work-in-progress :) 

You can check out a portfolio of some of my more recent food photography here: The Rawtarian's Photography Portfolio.

Click to view photo portfolio

When people find out that you're a vegetarian or a vegan or raw vegan, the subject of protein is always a huge concern to friends and family.

I bet every raw vegan has been asked the question, "But where you get your protein from?" Maybe some of you know a lot  about how to get protein on the raw food diet already. And maybe there are those who have an idea, but just don’t know how to make other non-raw friends understand. Why is it such a big deal to have enough protein, anyway? What makes it so special? And what are the best and most common sources of protein for raw fooders? Lemme tell ya!

But before we get into the details, I want to start with a few soundbytes:

It’s handy to arm yourself with a little useful information about the protein question so that you understand it and can answer the question with quick confidence. Don't go down the rabbit hole of stammering and ums! So in the future, when you come across the question on where you get your protein from, you’ll know exactly what to say. So here's a bit more detail for you detail-oriented folk!

Protein defined

Don’t be daunted by that headline. This is just a little bit of science and nothing too intense, I promise. Let’s just start from the beginning. And so the question: What is protein?

Proteins are basically one of the most vital building blocks of your body. They are the second most abundant substance in our bodies next to water, and they are very important nutrients made of a combination of amino acids.

Think of protein as the alphabet and amino acids as the letters in the alphabet. Just like letters forming a number of possible words, different combinations of various amino acids make up different kinds of proteins, which serve their own purposes.

Simply put, protein is a word used to call different combinations of many amino acids. There are amino acids that can only be gained from the food we eat (essential amino acids) and those that our bodies produce (non-essential amino acids). Complete protein just refers to a combination of all nine essential amino acids proportional to the needs of the body.

What does protein do? Why do you need it?

But before we go into the sources of proteins, let's first get to know what these proteins do in our bodies and what we need them for. Proteins actually provide structure to every single cell in our bodies. There are proteins that serve as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and more.

Some proteins are involved in transporting oxygen and other molecules, and some are involved in contracting our muscles. The list of tasks proteins are responsible for goes on. They're busy guys!

But the most notable functions of proteins are to build, maintain, and replace tissues in our bodies (e.g. nails, hair, skin, muscles, bones, red blood cells, etc.), as well as to keep our cells in good condition for them to be able to work properly.

How much protein do you need?

On average, an adult female vegan’s protein recommendation is around 46-58 grams per day. Whereas an adult male vegan’s is around 56-70 grams per day.

According to numerous studies and research, the amount of required daily protein intake varies depending on several factors like age, gender, body condition, lifestyle, etc. For instance, an inactive female adult’s protein needs may be much lower than that of an athlete’s or a bodybuilder’s.

Here are some common raw foods and their protein levels:

• 1/4 cup almonds = 15 grams protein
• 1/4 cup walnuts = 7.5 grams protein
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds = 7 grams protein
• 1/4 cup cashews = 5 grams protein
• 1/4 cup pecans = 2.5 grams protein
• 1/4 cup medjool dates = 2 grams protein
• 4 tablespoons of hempseed hearts = 15 grams protein
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds = 4 grams protein
• 1 cup raw kale = 2 grams protein
• 1 cup raw broccoli = 2 grams protein
• 1 cup raw spinach = 1 gram protein (1 cup cooked spinach = 7.6 grams protein)
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts = 1 gram protein
• 1 large avocado = 2 grams protein

Best plant-based raw food sources

Contrary to popular belief, animal products are not the only and more superior source of (complete) proteins.

It’s traditionally believed that proteins from animals are the best source of proteins are already complete. And this is because their bodies already exerted the effort to combine the amino acids from the many different plants they’ve consumed. However, true as it may be, that could also be just what it is – a traditional belief.

Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds are some of the richest sources of proteins in a plant-based raw food diet. There are various plant-based foods that are high in certain amino acids. But incomplete protein doesn’t mean it’s inferior compared to complete proteins. It just tells us that it’s important to get the right balance of these nutritional values in order to meet the required amount of amino acids our bodies need to make complete proteins.

There are also even studies that show a human body actually prefers incomplete protein or as individual amino acids. This is so that it can combine them in the best possible way to serve their many different purposes, because when our body takes in complete proteins, it has to break down and tear the amino acids apart to reassemble them in a way that our body needs them to be. In saying so, amino acids from plant-based food therefore allow the body to skip that process entirely and get right down to business.

Protein recap

And that’s basically what protein is about and how to get protein as a raw vegan By learning this tidbit of information, we get to understand the importance of knowing what a raw vegan lifestyle entails and how we can better improve our raw food diet. Not because we have to prove something but to share a better understanding and hopefully eliminate misconceptions.

If you'd like to find out more about the intersection of protein and raw food, check out my podcast about raw protein sources.

Easy raw desserts don't have to involve soaking, sprouting, dehydrating or thinking much in advance at all. Just make sure to keep the basic easy raw dessert ingredients on hand, like  dried coconut, some nuts (pecans, almonds, etc), a sweetener (agave nectar, dates, etc) and raw cocoa powder and you can whip up easy raw desserts in no time!

When I am craving a simple raw food dessert here are a few of my go-to easy raw dessert recipes.

Easy raw desserts - 3 best ideas

Raw brownies (with optional raw chocolate icing) - This is a perfect raw dessert to feed to your family as a simple raw dessert that satisfies. Even teenage boys like this one, I am told!

Raw chocolate fudge in 1-minute - This easy raw dessert is awesome because you can make it in just a few minutes, and no special equipment is required. This is a small chocolate fix perfect for one person.

Raw sesame seed bars -Try this recipe as one that you keep on hand in the freezer for when you're looking for an easy raw dessert that keeps well in the freezer so that you always have something sweet on hand. No equipment required!

What are some of your favourite easy raw dessert recipes?

How to sprout seeds, you wonder? It's so easy! In this post I've explained how to sprout seeds in a simple, step-by-step format.

Follow me and you'll no longer be wondering how to sprout seeds ever again! It's really so easy. Once you've got the hang of it you'll find it easy to keep a jar of seeds on your windowsill 24/7.

My favourite sprouted seeds are the good ol' standby, alfalfa sprouts, but there are many types of seeds that can be sprouted in a similar fashion. The only difference is the time they take to sprout. The process remains the same.

How to sprout seeds:

• 1. Choose your seeds! Most health food stores offer a variety of seeds that can be sprouted in their bulk section. Some common seeds are alfalfa, mung, broccoli, radish, and adzuki seeds. When in doubt, just ask for some "sprouting seeds" at your local health food store.
• 2. Get ready! You'll need a jar that can "breathe." For example, try taking a canning jar. Cover the top with some cheesecloth (cloth with tiny holes in it) and secure it with a rubber band. The cheesecloth doubles as a strainer.
• 3. Seeds in. Throw a small amount (for example, a tablespoon of alfalfa seeds or 1/4 cup of adzuki beans because they're bigger) of seeds into a jar.
• 4. Soak for 6-8 hours (or overnight). Add a couple of cups of water so that the seeds are totally underwater. Leave the jar upright.

Part II

• 5. Drain. Dump out all the water. You should be able to just leave the cheesecloth on and tip the jar into the sink. Water will come out but the seeds will stay in.
• 6. Rinse and drain again right away. This is important because seeds have a layer of "do not grow" protection on them. You want to make sure this layer is rinsed off because it can inhibit their growth.
• 6. Tip jar on angle and leave alone for 24 hours. Place the jar in a bright spot, like on a windowsill. Leave it alone for 24 hours.
• 7. Keep watered. Every day, sometimes twice a day, give them a good rinse so that everything gets wet, but then drain them again right away. Always leave the jar on an angle so that water can get out and air can get in.
• 8. Eat! Once the sprouts look good enough to eat, just start eating! I keep my jar in the fridge once they look ready to eat. I love to eat sprouts on veggie burgers!

All types of seeds look different when they're ready to eat.

Fresh sprouts are a cost-effective and fun way to keep fresh, organic greens in your diet all year long. Know you know how to sprout seeds!

There are times when even raw vegans just miss eating meat, especially when you’re still a newbie transitioning from a non-raw diet. You feel the craving for that meat texture your palate had been used to for so many years.

But don’t despair just yet because these raw vegan meatless recipes will help you forget about eating animal products and think about raw food the next time a craving crosses your mind. And by mock meat, I mean all natural and no processed food involved. Completely vegan and meatless, of course!

Raw mock "tuna" salad

This raw tuna salad recipe’s flavor comes from its vital ingredient – seaweed. Before making this recipe, presoak the seeds in lukewarm water for an hour or so and rinse them well. Get rid of all the water and place all the tuna pate ingredients in a food processor.

Process on high until the pate mixture becomes very smooth. You may serve this raw tuna pate with some chopped onions, parsley, crackers or even an apple. Be creative and find the perfect combination that suits your taste.

Raw walnut pate

This is one savory raw vegan dish you’ll surely love. It’s quick to make and tastes so good it won’t last for too long.

Set aside the soy sauce first and then process the rest of your raw walnut pate ingredients in a food processor until smooth and cream-cheese-like. Add the soy sauce (important!) to the mixture and process again for a bit more. Scoop the pate on cucumber rounds (cracker-style) and they're ready to eat!

Raw taco filling

If you’re still having a hard time transitioning to raw food, it’s great to have flavorful vegan “meat” like the raw taco meat recipe once in a while. It really helps satisfy that sudden craving. This recipe’s ingredients are sundried tomatoes soaked in oil, walnuts, olive oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and sea salt.

Simply mix all the ingredients in a food processor until you reach a nice taco filling consistency. I like serving mine on romaine lettuce topped with tomatoes and fresh sprouts.

Raw vegan mock "chicken" salad

So maybe this raw mock meat vegan recipe doesn’t taste chicken-like, but I tell you, the texture is so much like chicken salad! And it’s really comparably tasty in its own raw vegan food right. You’ll need a food processor for this raw vegan chicken salad recipe.

Dump all the ingredients into your food processor and process for only a few seconds. It should still be chunky and not over-processed. Transfer the chicken salad onto a plate and eat up! It’s best to eat it right away because it doesn’t keep well for long. However, you may let it sit for about 30 minutes after processing to allow the flavors to combine. You may also serve it in lettuce wraps and top with optional slices of avocado.

Raw fake "bacon" lettuce tomato sandwich

Do you miss the texture of bacon? Thought so! But you don’t have to go back to eating the typical fatty and oily bacon. This raw bacon lettuce tomato sandwich may not have anything that looks remotely like bacon, but you will be astounded at just how much dulse seaweed can parade as bacon!

To make you very own vegan BLT sandwich raw style, just spread raw mayonnaise or raw ranch on a piece of romaine lettuce, add sliced tomatoes, and finally the dulse seaweed. Put together only when you’re ready to eat for the best raw fake “bacon” experience.

Raw vegan mock meat recipes

Now that you have a list of raw mock meat vegan recipes in your arsenal, whenever you’re having a difficult time during your transition or if you simply want to spice up a recipe with a traditional texture sometimes, you can make one of these standby raw mock meat recipes instead. Before you know it, you’ll probably never even entertain thoughts about meat anymore. Seriously!

Ever want to try out a small version of a Rawtarian recipe to see if you'll like it? Hate wasting expensive ingredients on large recipes? Have a big family or raw food business that you need to prepare large recipes for? Well you're in luck: you can now adjust recipe serving sizes up and down here on my recipes! Ingredient amounts will adjust automatically. Works with both cups/tbsp (customary) and ml/grams (metric)!

I have wanted this feature since 2009 when I first started this website! And I have certainly received countless requests for this, since it is so handy. And this feature is finally here and live on each recipe!

To use this feature, simply click on the small edit (pencil) icon near the "servings" section on each recipe - then you can select your desired serving size from a drop-down menu, and the ingredients will update automaticaly.  (Alternatively, click on the number of servings in the ingredients area, and this will get you to the same drop-down menu.)

I took care to manually set the minimum and maximum size for each of my 100 free recipes and my 115+ TRK recipes. This is because, as you can imagine, some recipes just will not blend or process properly if the size too tiny or too huge! Thus, the available serving sizes vary for each recipe--from as small as 1 serving to up to 50 servings in some cases!

Generally, though, the best bet is to use the serving size that is a best fit yet is as closest to the "default" serving size as possible. Because of course, when multiplying a recipe by, like, 20, things get a little sketchy! But doubling, tripling etc is usually a no-brainer.

For those of you with my apps, this feature will hopefully be included in the next app that I am working on, which will be a new and improved version of my "raw recipes" app.

If you have any problems, bug reports or thoughts about how to improve this adjustable serving-size feature, I would love to hear from you!

Contest now closed. Congrats to Kinsey for winning this sweet nuts.com prize pack!

Oh  yeah, it's time for another fine contest here at The Rawtarian! You know I like to spoil you with goodies, especially RAW GOODIES!

How does winning a raw nuts and sweets variety pack from nuts.com sound?

Pretty darn good? Then keep on reading...

Just a few of the things that are included in your prize pack...

• Organic almonds
• Organic cacao nibs
• Organic cacao goji energy squares
• Raw acai blueberry superfood cereal

And more!

Enter to win now!

To qualify for the giveaway, leave a comment below filling in the blank: "My favorite raw recipe that uses nuts is ____________!"

The winner will be announced on December 3, 2014, so stay tuned!